Duncan McLean

Entrepreneur and charity founder

2007 VIC Young Australian of the Year

Through determination and sheer hard work, Duncan McLean has developed a successful business in an extremely competitive market while maintaining his strong passion for helping others. From his $20 investment four years ago, Duncan has built an unconventional swimwear manufacturing and marketing venture into a company with a turnover of over $500,000 from sales here and overseas. Just as importantly, he has used his creativity and marketing skills and channelled his enthusiasm into the One Funky World Foundation, whose major project so far is to provide urgently needed wheelchairs for over 500 Tongans, many of whom have been confined to their homes for years. He’s also raised $30,000 for the Heartwell Fitness Scholarship Program, a sports program for disabled children, and he supports a program in Port Moresby that teaches homeless youth basic agricultural skills. Duncan’s success is testament to young Australians’ creativity and their ability to break convention.